[Samba] Replacing Microsoft on the server side :-)

[Emil G. Frank]

Hi all,

I'm not yet a "100 % Samba Guru" and I'd very much appreciate feedback
of some guru's out there regarding the following:

Our team started trials with Samba 2.2.5 on Red Hat AS using OpenLDAP
technologies and a LDAP backend keeping Samba's "SAM data". Ideally
we want to kick out as much of Microsoft's server infrastructure as 
possible - means Exchange, Active Directory and all MS Domain
Controllers. Instead we want to have a central robust LDAP directory,
a robust IMAP mail server and Samba (using LDAP as well). However we
need to keep Microsoft on the client side. Today we are dealing with a
NT and W2K based multi-domain server infrastructure. Our basic thoughts are:

** Exchange **

Replace Exchange with a robust IMAP mailserver, keeping Outlook on
the client side using the Bynari connector. The mailserver will use
the same LDAP server as Samba does. From my understanding one tricky
part is to provide "single sign on" to mail - similar than MS does -
once a user is logged into the domain.

** Active Directory **

This is from my understanding the most "challanging" part. Samba - at
least from my understanding - doesn't fully support Kerberos and Active
Directory today. I'm not sure whether Active Directory can be replaced
by a LDAP server without loosing vital functionalities. E.g. how would
we provide Kerberos authentication?

** Domain Controllers **

I believe Samba 2.2.5 is able to replace existing NT based DC's. But -
as already outlined - using Samba to replace W2K based DC's at least
from my understanding is some challange.

Are there some folks out there that have similar plans?

Is all of the above far away from reality or is this pretty close?

Thanks for your feedback,

Emil

-- 
Emil G. Frank
AOL Strategic Business Solutions
Office: +1 703-265-2420
Mobile: +1 703-346-5647
Fax: +1 703-265-2208